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Clubs/Associations: A Successful Brown Club/Association

Becoming involved in a Brown Club or Association is a rewarding activity which can serve to reconnect alumni to Brown while it provides you and your fellow Club board members with a rewarding leadership experience. It might seem a daunting task at first, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how many alumni will appreciate and respond to your efforts, and how quickly enthusiasm can be generated. The BAA works with Brown Clubs throughout the world and will provide information, technological support, and some financial resources to help make your Club a success. Alumni Relations staff and fellow Club leaders also provide a sympathetic ear.

First Things First: Mission and Purpose


The mission of the Brown alumni clubs is to foster the lifelong connection between Brown University and its constituent alumni through the following:
  • Provide opportunities for social and professional networking
  • Continue alumni education through Speakers Bureau, Meeting of the Minds faculty speaker events, or events that involve alumni authors or other distinguished alumni
  • Connect the alumni back to the University
  • Provide a context for the development of volunteer leaders of all ages through participation in the club’s leadership

How Active Should My Club Be?

Under 2,000 Alumni: Clearly the Majority of Clubs
Smaller-sized alumni populations of 2,000 and less are the majority of the 65 US-based alumni clubs and all of Brown’s twelve international clubs.

This presents a challenge, because the number of events organized will be fewer than for the larger populations, yet the steering committee needs at least bi-monthly meetings to gain the necessary momentum as a team to provide an effective presence in their Brown community and to help new volunteers come on board. Common characteristics of clubs with this alumni population are:

  • Boards or steering committees of fifteen or fewer members
  • Monthly or bi-monthly board meetings, well-advertised and often open to all
  • One or two events per season
  • Web sites
  • More well-established Clubs have bylaws to help maintain momentum; many newer clubs also want to start out with that framework in place to assure a succession of leaders.

From 2,000 to 5,000 Alumni: The Medium-Big Four
The medium-sized alumni populations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have between 2,000 and 5,000 alumni. Common characteristics are:

  • Fewer than 25 board members
  • Boards meet once a month to keep the club’s momentum going, with groups in charge of a special event also meeting at additional times. 
  • Two events per month might be sponsored by these clubs, though not every month and not by all of them.
  • Web sites
  • Bylaws are currently being adopted by most clubs in this group for those that had not used them up until now.

Over 7,000 Alumni: The Big Three
The largest Brown Clubs (Boston, New York, and Rhode Island) have over 7,000 alumni in their areas. Common characteristics are:

  • More than 20 members on the board
  • The board meets once a month
  • Other committees and subgroups, such as young alumni, women’s committee, events committee, marketing committee, meet at other times, and also organize their own events, assuring that various alumni groups are served.
  • Aggressive marketing and follow-up yield more than 400 paid members
  • Two events or more a month are organized, some of them recurring, such as a book club meeting or young alumni happy hour
  • Web sites that are frequently updated with information and photographs
  • Bylaws are carefully followed, which assures that a timely flow of new volunteers is coming up; volunteer burnout is thus avoided and leadership opportunities are opened to the greatest number of alumni.

Get Started -- with an Organizational Meeting!

  • Pick a time and place. Often, a weekday night in a central location works well
  • Contact area alums using a BRAVO e-mail blast, postcards, or telephone calls
  • Serve refreshments
  • Keep the agenda interactive and brainstorm ideas for events
  • Bring a sign-up sheet so that people can volunteer for the job which appeals to them
  • Collect contact information from all attendees
  • Consider establishing bylaws for your Club, if you don't already have them. Alumni Relations has both model bylaws and specific Club examples to share.

Understand Your Audience


What is the geographic focus for your Club: a city, greater metropolitan area, or an entire state, region or country? Establish the demographic characteristics of your membership base:
  • Graduating Classes
  • Professional Backgrounds
  • Common Interests
  • Racial / Ethnic Diversity

You can find out some of this information through a data download through BRAVO, and demographic and zip code lists can be provided on request. Both BRAVO e-mail blasts and SurveyMonkey.com are useful for finding out alumni interests.


Reaching Out to Affinity Groups and Other Alumni Leaders


Introduce yourself to affinity group and BASC leaders in your area and share the plans for the year for the Club. Brainstorm together regarding programming ideas and volunteer openings that need to be filled. These are potential affiliate groups with which you can connect in your area:
  • Brown Affinity Groups (A4, BULAC, IPC, TBGALA)
  • The BASC Area Chair
  • The Sports Foundation representative in your area
  • Other Ivy League, Ivy-Plus or “Ivy and Co.” Alumni Clubs

Assemble Resources


Successful Club leaders rely on the support and input of the Alumni Relations staff to provide the following resources:
  • Annual and Program Funding via grant applications
  • Ideas to help organize successful events
  • Nametags, cups, and cocktail napkins with the Brown University logo
  • The BAA Outreach Committee member responsible for your area